ANOS day out in the Southern Highlands

A great day was had by those who came along on the Australasian Native Orchid Society (Illawarra Branch) Field Trip to the Southern Highlands of NSW.
We started out from the Pie Shop in Robertson (a convenient meeting place) before heading to Penrose Flora Reserve to see the Diuris punctata there. We then went to the local cemetery (at Penrose) where we were pleasantly rewarded with masses of flowering Sun Orchids and some Bearded Orchids.

Not as many forms as last year, but a good display, none-the-less.

The list included a nice pink form of Thelymitra ixioides

Down the road to the Tallong Cemetery to see more of the purple Diuris.
Then back in the car to Bungonia State Conservation Area to get the endemic "rufa" Greenhood (a "Rustyhood"). Oligochaetochilus calceolus

On the way back Graeme showed us another spot beside the road where a different "rufa" was located. Oligochaetochilus aciculiformis Two new species for me, in a single day, is always fun.
Back in the car to head for Butler's Swamp, in Kangaloon, where we had SCA permission to enter the swamp to look for the endemic (and now formally listed as an "Endangered Species" on the Federal EPBC Act) Kangaloon Sun Orchid (Thelymitra kangaloonica).

As we left, we found several green forms of Prasophyllum brevilabre. These were growing in a wet area, and are flowering much later than the other members of this species which grow in dry land, further along Tourist Road. We thought at first that it might be a different species, but the "points" were fused, not divergent as in the other species. So alas, we had to settle for it being "likely to be" the green form of the regular "Praso. brevilabre".

The experts line up to take photos of the unusual Leek Orchid.

Walking back to the car, we found several small specimens of a Beard Orchid Calochilus campestris. I have seen this plant previously, in the Royal National Park, but I have now seen several specimens of it here, and in Kangaroo Valley, in the last few days. But today was the frst time I have seen it in Kangaloon.
Hanging out for a coffee, at 5:30 on Sunday afternoon in Robbo we discovered that Chats" cafe closes early on Sundays, so we ended up getting nice Pizzas at "Pizzas in the Mist" (on Sundays, it is take away only, so we ate them on the outside chairs). No coffee, but the pizzas were great, as usual, and very welcome after a huge day out.